La Dia de Departure

24 June 2012
4:54pm - Boston Logan Airport


"One might wonder how an unemployed ex-graduate student with no means whatsoever was able to afford a trip to Cuba.  The truth of the matter was that I couldn't afford it.  However, in an act of colossal misjudgement, American Express had agreed to give me a credit card."

-The Sex Lives of Cannibals, J. Maarten Troost

Official first picture of the trip

Possibly one of the funniest books I've ever read and, as you can see, fairly accurate in relation to me (maybe minus the "ex-grad student," "Cuba," and "American Express" bits).  It seemed an appropriate quote to start out on.

There seems to be a general belief that, since I am traveling, I have money.  Let me just state for the record that this is entirely false.  Were I a more fiscally responsible or more grounded person, this would probably not be happening.  However, I am equipped not only with a ferocious wanderlust and an apparent desire to put myself in potentially hazardous situations, but also a friend who shares these qualities with me. Therefore, with very little trepidation, we booked flights to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, six months ago. It's about time we had another adventure!

11:44pm - George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston

The fact that this airport is named after George Bush nauseates me quite a bit.  But, I guess I'm on "his" turf now, so I'll try to contain myself.  It's only temporary.

I'm struck by the absurdity of the calm, cool recorded voice (you know, the one that says "any unattended bags will be removed and may be destroyed") announcing, "any inappropriate remarks or jokes concerning security may result in your arrest."  Clearly no one is allowed to have a sense of humor anymore.  Don't get me wrong, I do understand why they say this, but come on.

Quote of the flight:

Sara (as we're dancing and lipsynching to Nicki Minaj's "SuperBass" on my headphones): "It'd be kind of cool to do like an overhead view right now and see what everyone else is doing right now, like watching movies or sleeping or reading, and then there's us... doing this."

Upon successfully arriving at Houston, where we'd be spending roughly the next 12 hours, we:

• found food.  Ate stromboli.  Huge mistake as it's currently waging war with my stomach.
• called Mom.  She's still questioning my sanity.
• Took a succession of super attractive bathroom pictures.
• Located and camped out at gate... 10 hours early

Goons.

Something More

You try staying in one place after being lucky enough to live in India for a year.  Now, try staying in that one place for two years, without major opportunities to throw yourself out of your comfort zone and experience dramatically different cultures.  Sure, where you're at is nice.  The city is nice and your friends are awesome.  Your family is supportive and your apartment is cheap.  Your job is challenging, even enjoyable.  You really have no right to complain.

...But you do.  You know deep down there's more to the world than a daily routine, more than just waiting to meet the right person, more than just being a "twenty-something."  More than Facebook, than Twitter, than the petty concerns of everyday life.  You find yourself wondering why you're complaining about stupid things that you realize are stupid, but you're caught up in the every day and you just feel stuck.

Cliche: "more than this provincial life." I'm all about the Beauty & the Beast references.

Fortunately, I'm not alone in these emotions and so, after half-joking conversations about hopping a plane to Nicaragua, a friend and I looked at each other and said, "let's actually do it."  And we did.

Story to follow.